Food, cooking and water for a blackout

By Luis Antón · Published 12 November 2026

No power means no fridge, no hob and no microwave. And in a block of flats, within a few hours there’s no water in the tap either. This guide solves all three: what food to keep in the pantry, how to cook without electricity and how to make sure you have drinking water.

1. The emergency pantry: what to buy

The rule is simple: buy what you already eat, but in a format that keeps for months outside the fridge. No strange food nobody at home will want. Prioritise what can be eaten without cooking: if the gas runs out or you can’t ventilate, it still works.

Protein: tinned fish and meat

Tuna, sardines, mackerel, mussels, cockles, pâté and tinned meat. They can be eaten straight away, last for years and provide protein and fat, which is what fills you up most.

Ready meals: pulses and stews in jars or tins

Chickpeas, lentils and beans cooked in glass jars, and the classic Spanish ready meals in tins: fabada (bean stew), lentils with chorizo, cocido. They’re already cooked: eat them cold or heat them for a few minutes on the stove.

Carbohydrates: what fills you up

Crispbread toast and rusks, María-type biscuits, cereals, rice cakes. If you can cook: rice, pasta and couscous (which only needs hot water). Potatoes and onions keep for weeks in a cool, dark place.

Quick energy: nuts, bars and chocolate

Lots of energy in little space. Nuts, peanut butter, cereal bars, chocolate and dried fruit. They also lift your spirits, which counts in a long cut.

Dairy, fruit and vegetables without a fridge

• UHT milk in cartons and powdered milk.
• Fruit in syrup or in its own juice, and fruit purées.
• Tinned vegetables: peppers, asparagus, sweetcorn, crushed tomatoes.
• Soups and creams in cartons: drink them cold or lukewarm.

Freeze-dried food: for long cuts

Dehydrated meals that last for years and only need hot water. They’re not cheap, but they take up and weigh very little. They make sense as a reserve for when everything else runs out.

Don’t forget

• Manual tin opener. An electric one is useless without power.
• Instant coffee, cocoa, sugar, salt and oil.
• Baby food and pet food if you have them at home.
• Disposable plates, cups and cutlery: they save washing-up water.

How much to buy: a 3-day pantry per person

Multiply by people and days. And most importantly: rotate the pantry. Use the oldest items day to day and replace them. That way nothing will ever expire.

2. Cooking without electricity

With a ceramic or induction hob, there’s no cooking in a blackout. The solution in a flat is a gas cartridge stove: it heats a tin, boils water for pasta or freeze-dried meals, or makes a coffee.

Tips to use less gas

• Always put the lid on the pot.
• Soak dried pulses and pasta beforehand: they cook faster.
• Heat only the water you’ll use.
• A flask keeps boiled water hot for hours: coffee, tea or freeze-dried meals without relighting.

3. Water: storing and purifying

In a block of flats, water is pumped up electrically. Without power, upper floors run out of water quickly. Protección Civil recommends 3 litres per person per day for drinking and cooking (minimum 1.5 L). For 4 people and 3 days, that’s 36 litres.

• Store it in containers of 5-8 litres, in a cool, dark place.
• Fill the bath when the cut starts: it’s water for the toilet and washing up, not for drinking.
• Rotate the water every 6 months.

If the bottled water runs out

• Boiling: one minute at a rolling boil kills bacteria and viruses. Uses gas.
• Purification tablets: no gas or electricity. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Portable filter: removes bacteria and parasites instantly.
• Bleach (lejía): only one whose label says it’s suitable for disinfecting drinking water, following the dose on the packaging.

Food and water checklist

Got it all? Complete the rest with the 72-hour kit and, for long cuts, the 30-day protocol.

Sources: Protecció Civil, Generalitat de Catalunya (water quantities and 72-hour self-sufficiency); CDC, “Making Water Safe in an Emergency” (boiling and disinfecting water).